Tabiteuea (Kiribati)

Tabiteuea (formerly Drummond's Island) is an atoll in the Gilbert Islands, Kiribati, farther south of Tarawa. This atoll is the second largest and the most populated of the Gilbert Islands after Tarawa. The atoll consists of one main island, Aanikai in the north, and several smaller islets in between along the eastern rim of the atoll. The atoll has a total land area of 38 km2 (15 sq mi), while the lagoon measures 365 km2 (141 sq mi). The population numbered 5,261 in 2015. The islanders have customary fishing practices related to the lagoon and the open ocean. While most atolls of the Gilbert Islands correspond to local government areas governed by island councils, Tabiteuea, like the main atoll Tarawa, is divided into two: North Tabiteuea (in Gilbertese, Tabiteuea Meang) has a land area of 26 km2 (10 sq mi) and a population of 3,955 as of 2015, distributed among twelve villages (capital Utiroa) South Tabiteuea (Tabiteuea Maiaki) has a land area of 12 km2 (4.6 sq mi) and a population of 1,306, distributed among six villages (capital Buariki).